1st & 10

The two-time Oscar nominee passed away in his native New York on Christmas Eve (24Dec12) - the same day as another beloved TV and film star, Jack Klugman, who was 90.
He died of natural causes at his home in Manhattan.
Durning, a former professional boxer, martial arts expert and dance instructor, was a World War Two hero who survived the infamous massacre of American Prisoners of War by German troops at Malmedy, Belgium. He served with the 1st Infantry Division and was also involved in the Normandy Invasion on Omaha Beach in June, 1944. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Silver Star Medal and three Purple Hearts among his many accolades for services to his country.
He picked up his fledgling acting career after the war with a series of stage roles but didn't land his big movie break until the early 1970s, following a series of acclaimed plays and appearances on 1960's shows. His first major film role came opposite Robert Redford in The Sting in 1973. He followed that big screen success with a role in Charles Bronson's western Breakheart Pass two years later.
Durning's eclectic and varied film career also included credits in Tootsie, The Muppet Movie, North Dallas Forty, Sharky's Machine, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Dog Day Afternoon, and he earned Oscar nods for his roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Mel Brooks' comedy To Be Or Not To Be, in which he played a Nazi officer.
Despite his gruff persona and his penchant for playing severe, stern roles, Durning portrayed Santa Claus in five TV movies, including It Nearly Wasn't Christmas, Mrs. Santa Claus and A Boyfriend for Christmas.
Durning also scooped a Tony Award in 1990 for his portrayal of Big Daddy in a revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - not bad for someone who was allegedly kicked out of the American Academy of Dramatic Art drama school for lacking talent!
Paying tribute to his pal on Twitter.com on Christmas Day (25Dec12), Happy Days star Henry Winkler called Durning "the actor's actor".
Durning was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008. According to IMDB.com, he was still making what was his final film, Scavenger Killers, when he passed away.

"My family and I go to Maine for the holidays, and from December 1st until January 1st there is nothing but Christmas music being played, all day and every night... I thought, I'm listening to Johnny Mathis and Frank Sinatra doing it, why can't we do it?" John Travolta on his This Christmas album collaboration with old pal Olivia Newton-John.

"I want to send my prayers and gratitude to family of Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque. An American hero." Actor Rob Lowe remembers the U.S. Navy SEAL who died during a daring mission to rescue a kidnapped American doctor in Afghanistan last week (begs03Dec12).

"Because in a blink...everything can change."
Welp, to use a few words of the Debra Morgan variety: holy f**king shit, that was an episode. Holy mother of balls, so much just f**king happened. Holy f**kballs, everything is different. OK, OK, I feel better now. Do you? Good. Well, tonight's episode of Dexter saw many spinning plates begin to crumble and fall. It was an elegant dance that Dexter was doing—balancing Deb, work, Hannah, The Bay Harbor Butcher, and (previously) The Dark Passenger all at once—but nothing so intricate can last forever. And this episode is full of ends. As a precursor to a finale, it seems like a hard one to top—mostly because it felt like a finale, and was one of the best episodes of the season. Next week should be interesting.
If you were a woman in Dexter Morgan's life, tonight was interesting for you. Three women want Dexter, for three different reasons: Debra Morgan, Hannah McKay, and Maria LaGuerta. You have to do whatever it takes to make sure the outcome you so desire is achieved. Whether motivated by what is right, what is wrong, the truth, or even love, tonight's cleverly-titled episode "Do You See What I See?" showed that the only thing you can really trust, is yourself.
"It's because my love of Dexter that I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
GALLERY: Best and Worst TV Gamechangers The biggest winner of all tonight, is Debra Morgan. Everything's pretty much coming up roses by the end for Deb—but it wasn't so easy getting to this point. Deb's longstanding feelings (both familial and otherwise) for Dexter have lead her down a path of self-destruction all season. She was lying, cheating, and stealing for Dexter. And if there's one person with a code stronger than Dexter's, it's Deb's. She's lived her whole life by the moral code of law enforcement up until discovering Dexter's secret. And his killing ways have reallyput her between a rock and a hard place. The stress of not being a sort of moral compass was really driving her nuts: to the point that she was taking anti-anxiety pills to quell her fears. But, as we saw last week, Deb's not doing things for Dexter anymore—and going after Hannah McKay for murder is one of the ways she's exercising this newfound freedom. Deb tracks down Arlene Tram: the only witness/accomplice to the murder of a counselor Hannah committed years ago when they were roommates at a halfway house. Deb gives Arlene some time to think about the prospect of immunity for ratting Hannah out. The only problem is...Deb nearly dies. On the way to Arlene's house to find out whether or not she's willing to bargain with Deb, our lady Morgan suffers a near-fatal accident. TWIST! That's right, in the same way that Sal Price was supposed to die (at the mischievous and deadly hand of of Hannah McKay), Deb wrecked her car and nearly died en route to possibly, finally nailing Hannah to a crime she committed. Only...was it really Hannah? Deb had recently done what she'd promised herself she wouldn't do: interfere with an investigation in order to save her brother's true identity from being found. Prior to planting evidence against Doakes at LaGuerta's, we see Deb take one of her pills. Could this be a visual cue that Deb's pill-popping like a fiend?
GALLERY: Best and Worst TV Episodes of 2012 And what about Arlene? Last we saw her, she was sitting in a car with none other than...Hannah McKay, telling Dexter's favorite blondie everything that Deb told her, and how hard it would be for Arlene—the only person who seems to know and is OK with Hannah's murdering of the counselor (he apparently "put his hands" on the girls, whatever that means exactly, we're unsure)—to not take the immunity Deb was offering: Arlene's been in and out of jail and rehab. Could all of this set the ball in motion? What about Hannah's visit to Deb's apartment and the blonde hair Dexter found at Deb's place? What does it all mean? Was Deb thisserious when she meant she'd do whatever it takes to save Dexter from Hannah? "You should've killed me." Hannah McKay: arguably tonight's biggest loser. In the event of Deb Versus Hannah, it was always going to be Deb. Always. It's the most...logical choice, after all. And we all know how our boy feels about logic up in that lizard brain of his. So was it a series of unfortunate events that ended the relationship of Debra and Dexter? Or was it something more... nefarious? Well, maybe. "That's the thing about people who poison people, Dexter, they're really f**king sneaky," explained Deb at the hospital. And it's true: can you ever really trust a poisoner? The answer lies in whether or not you believe Hannah really loved Dexter, or if she loved him in such an extreme way that she, too, would do whatever it takes to keep him for herself. We know that Hannah was at Debra's house. Hannah explains a desire to find common ground, saying that Dexter's newfound happiness is all thanks to her and that if Deb and her could just get over their differences, then everything would be so great! Deb, who takes a drink from her WATER BOTTLE (you know, a bottle of water just like the one that is later found to be made up of 40% alazopram) and heads out for a run. Or did she (we don't seeDeb go out for a run, but we also don't see Hannah going into Deb's house, either)? The decisive moment comes when Dexter is forced to choose: between Hannah and Debra. Dexter has to decide for himself: which woman does he believe and trust more? Future be damned, right? Was Hannah two-timing Arlene, or is she two-timing Dexter? "I'm 100% sure about you, but you need to be 100% sure about me, too," Hannah pleads with Dexter. "We could have it all." In the end, while Hannah is still out there, Dexter will never know that Deb is safe. So the choice is made for him: Debra it is. He gives Deb the evidence she needs to put Hannah in jail for murdering Sal Price, and goes with her to arrest Hannah. But all Hannah can do is look at him, heartbroken, and yelp "you should've killed me" in a way that really makes you wonder who's done the bad thing here: Hannah...or Deb? One thing's for certain: Deb and Hannah are more alike than they might think.
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Well, quite good, it seems. When it comes to who stands to win the most, it's definitely Captain Maria LaGuerta. As we totally called in earlier this season, LaGuerta knows—and I mean really, really knows—that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She's a good cop, this one, eh? People really shouldn't have counted her out, not after all she did to get where she is now. It all starts with Hector Estrada. He's up for parole: Hannah calls it a Christmas present for Dexter, but it seems like it was more an attempted Christmas present to LaGuerta, from LaGuerta. In order to prove her theory, she sets up Estrada as bait for Dexter but doesn't tell anyone. Continuing in her above-board investigation with former Captain Matthews, she allows Matthews to interrogate Dexter. This, of course, gives Dexter every opportunity to change the situation, furthering the evidence that connects Doakes to the Bay Harbor Butcher cases. In a moment of subtle acting from Matthews, we get the line of LaGuerta's echoed right to Dexter: "What are the odds?" The two talk about all the ways in which Dexter is connected to these cases: the men that killed his mother, Brian Moser, the method of body disposal. Matthews is clearly wanting this catch for his own—he always wants to one-up LaGuerta. As they probably imagined they would, LaGuerta and Matthews find the elusive boat belonging to Doakes that Dexter planted in evidence. They find the plastic sheet coverings and a fingerprint that connects Doakes to all of it. They might as well have put a bow on all of it, too. LaGuerta thinks Dexter planted it, but Matthews says the investigation is over: "your talent is in playing the game. Hell, you beat me." Which brings us back to Estrada. Dexter has Estrada right where he wants him, and minus a kerfuffle with Estrada's gun, gets him on his table, ready to close a chapter of his life by murdering the last of the men that killed his mother. Only...Estrada lets it slip that LaGuerta got him out on parole. And, oh yeah, LaGuerta's had detectives following Estrada around, so they know Estrada's here. They manage to get out right before LaGuerta gets there, but not without a hassle: plastic sheets and a working chainsaw are left on the scene. Oh yeah, and Estrada escapes into the water, leaving yet another loose end that little Dicky Moser will have to clean up. "The future has never been kind to people like me." ...And somehow we doubt that it will be, Dexter. Other story lines of note: 1.) Quittin' Time for Angel: Could it be true? Is it possible? Has Angel been so disgusted, saddened, stressed-out, and morally shot by the ways of Miami Metro this season that he's cultivated an exit strategy? All signs point to yes when he gives LaGuerta notice of his retirement. That's right, probably the most normal human at Miami Metro has decided the place is too much to handle, and he's putting in his papers as of January 1st. "You don't carry it with you," Angel quipped when explaining his desire for the simpler life his new restaurant provides. Not like his police work. "... and up until, Mike's death maybe, it never got to me." People have been overlooking and under-appreciating Angel for seasons now, so it's no surprise he's come to terms with it. He certainly deserved to be Lieutenant over Debra, and the way he's been unknowingly pushed around in the middle of the Dexter — Debra feud is downright dirty. Get out of there while you still have some dignity left, Angel. Miami Metro is going down in flames, and it's going to take everyone with it. Maybe that poor dummy Masuka should find new employment soon, too. 2.) Adios, Nadia: Well thatreally sucks. Joey Quinn's lovelife is officially the worst. Looks like Nadia did what any stereotypically-written stripper would do: she took that money and ran, y'all. Got herself her passport and hoofed it to Vegas with all the other dream-havers. Went to Vegas and left you high and dry, Quinny-boy. At least she had the decency to...ha ha ha, OK, just kidding, we all know it wasn't decent. She left a note with another stripper at The Fox Hole. Of course. Hilarious bonus points for the naked, ambivalent stripper telling Joey that "you really mean a lot and she'll never forget you." 3.) Is This the Last of Matthews?: Let's just say it now; there's no f**king way Matthews is done on this Dexter-is-the-BHB tip. Matthews was a dick, sure, but he wasn't a dummy: I think he knows as well as LaGuerta that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. Something tells me that for his last trick, he's going to try and out-scoop LaGuerta on the Bay Harbor Butcher stuff. We all know he hates her—his weirdly racist turn this season seems to prove that even more so than normal—and he really wants to stick it to her for ruining his career. I think we're really going to need to keep an eye on this one. But don't blink, or you'll miss it (get it? Of course you do, you're very intelligent). What did you think of this season's precursor to season finale-dom? Did Hannah really try to kill Deb? Did Deb plan the whole thing? Was Hannah only using Dexter's feelings for her (and his relationship with his sister) to stay out of jail? Happy/excited/nervous about the way things panned out? Sound off in the comments! [Photo Credit: Showtime] Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes More: 'Dexter' Recap: The Dark Passenger Revealed 'Dexter' Recap: Out of Control 'Dexter' Recap: What's Love Got to Do With It?
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What should have been the ravings of a beloved loony rocker have become the catalyst for the second American Idol feud in two months – and the show doesn’t even air until January. Of course, the person pouring fuel into this nonsense is none other than brand new judge Nicki Minaj, who already fought with fellow judge Mariah Carey and is now claiming that Season 11 judge Steven Tyler’s recent comments are “racist.”
It makes us wonder: Is this the Idol we’re stuck with? Is it now a show laced with negativity and bitterness – qualities we only thought existed during Hollywood week when Richie the Cowboy was testing all of us? (We’re not dealing with any of his “craps.”)
The answer, it appears, is “Yep.”
Monday, Tyler spoke to MTV about the “new” Idol, saying,They should have something going on so thick and beautiful that they can lay it over the new talent that's trying to birth itself. It needs to be birthed, not judged by 'entertainment' factors, it needs to be judged by people that [are] honest, true, that have the 'it' factor. Not the 'it' factor because they can fight. The f--k is that all about? …
These kids, they just got out of a car from the Midwest somewhere and they're in New York City, they're scared to death; you're not going to get the best ... If it was Bob Dylan, Nicki Minaj would have had him sent to the cornfield! Whereas, if it was Bob Dylan with us, we would have brought the best of him out, as we did with Phillip Phillips. Just saying.Minaj, who’s not one to ever let a story hit the masses without taking to Twitter to tell her side of it, jumped right into the fray with gusto, claiming Tyler’s comments about Minaj's potential for missing a talented performer on the level of Bob Dylan were laced with racism.
I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven't done anything to you. That's a racist comment
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 26, 2012
You assume that I wouldn't have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go fuck yourself and worry about yourself babe.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 26, 2012
LOL lets make him a shirt that says "No Coloreds Allowed" then escort him down 2 Barbara Walters so he can tell how he was threatened w/guns
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 26, 2012
When Steven 1st went on Idol he was ridiculed by his peers &amp; fans alike. Called a sell out. So what does he do? Ridicule thenext judge.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 26, 2012
Of course, while we all wonder who we think is more correct – the former, potentially ousted judge or the newer firestarter – we’re already losing the fundamental piece of American Idol that kept it from being just another The Voice or The X Factor. Even when the show brought on superstars like Jennifer Lopez and Tyler, it maintained the promise that the contestants were the ones to watch, not the fireworks happening behind the judges’ table.
But if Minaj can't put up with a little chatter from the peanut gallery, what's she going to do when fans start angrily tweeting at her for a negative comment at a contestant they like? Are we headed for a season in which Minaj's fury will be aimed at her fellow judges and anyone else who voices their criticisms? Is this the era of Mean Idol?
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credit: WENN (2)]
More: How Nicki Minaj vs. Mariah Carey Could Change 'Idol' Forever 'Idol' Fight Leaks: Why We Hope It Stays Behind the Scenes First Pic of 'American Idol' Judges All Together
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So much for celebrities wanting to remain private about their personal lives. Animal Practice star JoAnna Garcia, 33, and her baseball player husband, Nick Swisher, released some exciting news that they are expecting baby. And they did so in a very public way: by posting the news on Facebook Monday! "We are so excited to finally be able to share our exciting news with you!" the couple wrote. "We are expecting a little Swisher in the spring of 2013!"
The couple was thrilled the share the news. "Words can't describe how blessed we feel to be expanding our family and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new addition," they said. "Your support and kindness has meant so much to us throughout the years and we wanted to personally share the news with you all. Love, Nick and Jo"
While Garcia hasn't always had the best of luck in the love department — she broke up with her first fiance, Trace Ayala, after being engaged for nearly two years — life has changed quite a bit for the former Reba star. She reportedly began dating Swisher in 2009, while he was playing for the New York Yankees (he's now a free agent); Swisher proposed in May of 2010. The two didn't waste any time and tied the knot on Dec. 11, 2010, at the Breakers Hotel &amp; Resort in West Palm Beach, Fla. Now, the couple has their first baby on the way.
Garcia also tweeted a message to her fans. "So happy to finally be able to share our news! @NickSwisher &amp; I r expecting our 1st baby in 2013! Feeling so blessed &amp; beyond excited!" she wrote.
So happy to finally be able to share our news! @nickswisher &amp; I r expecting our 1st baby in 2013! Feeling so blessed &amp; beyond excited!— JoAnna Garcia (@JoAnnaLGarcia) November 12, 2012
Follow Lindsey on Twitter @LDiMat.
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The Alice in Wonderland star recorded a message in aid of the City of London Poppy Day, a drive to boost donations to the Royal British Legion, which helps war veterans and their families.
She declared, "Hello everybody, it's Barbara Windsor here and I, together with Transport for London, am supporting London Poppy Day on the 1st of November. Please, please give generously."
Windsor has previously stated, "I'm thrilled to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those who serve and (to be) helping to raise awareness of London Poppy Day. It's an absolute honour to be the voice of the Tube on the day."

Robert Zemeckis is a blockbuster director at heart. Action has never been an issue for the man behind Back to the Future. When he puts aside the high concept adventures for emotional human stories — think Forrest Gump or Cast Away — he still goes big. His latest Flight continues the trend revolving the story of one man's fight with alcoholism around a terrifying plane crash. Zemeckis expertly crafts his roaring centerpiece and while he finds an agile performer in Denzel Washington the hour-and-a-half of Flight after the shocking moment can't sustain the power. The "big" works. The intimate drowns.
Washington stars as Whip Whitaker a reckless airline pilot who balances his days flying jumbo jets with picking up women snorting lines of cocaine and drinking himself to sleep. Although drunk for the flight that will change his life forever that's not the reason the plane goes down — in fact it may be the reason he thinks up his savvy landing solution in the first place. Writer John Gatins follows Whitaker into the aftermath madness: an investigation of what really happened during the flight Whitaker's battle to cap his addictions and budding relationships that if nurtured could save his life.
Zemeckis tops his own plane crash in Cast Away with the heart-pounding tailspin sequence (if you've ever been scared of flying before Flight will push into phobia territory). In the few scenes after the literal destruction Washington is able to convey an equal amount of power in the moments of mental destruction. Whitaker is obviously crushed by the events the bottle silently calling for him in every down moment. Flight strives for that level of introspection throughout eventually pairing Washington with equally distraught junkie Nicole (Kelly Reilly). Their relationship is barely fleshed out with the script time and time again resorting to obvious over-the-top depictions of substance abuse (a la Nic Cage's Leaving Las Vegas) and the bickering that follows. Washington's Whitaker hits is lowest point early sitting there until the climax of the film.
Sharing screentime with the intimate tale is the surprisingly comical attempt by the pilot's airline union buddy (Bruce Greenwood) and the company lawyer (Don Cheadle) to get Whitaker into shape. Prepping him for inquisitions looking into evidence from the wreckage and calling upon Whitaker's dealer Harling (John Goodman) to jump start their "hero" when the time is right the two men do everything they can to keep any blame being placed upon Whitaker by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The thread doesn't feel relevant to Whitaker's plight and in turn feels like unnecessary baggage that pads the runtime.
Everything in Fight shoots for the skies — and on purpose. The music is constantly swelling the photography glossy and unnatural and rarely do we breach Washington's wild exterior for a sense of what Whitaker's really grappling with. For Zemeckis Flight is still a spectacle film with Washington's ability to emote as the magical special effect. Instead of using it sparingly he once again goes big. Too big.
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Last week Will Arnett announced some Arrested Development news that caused fans to spontaneously erupt into a joyous chicken dance. No, he wasn't beginning his own Gob-inspired magic show. (Though how amazing an illusion would that be?) No, he not-so-coyly shared during a visit to Conan that none other than Conan O'Brien and his trusty sidekick, former Arrested Development guest star Andy Richter would both be appearing in the wildly anticipated upcoming fourth season, currently in production. In the arsenal of Arrested Development references, let's face it, we all collectively blue ourselves.
O'Brien and the Richter quintuplets wasted no time getting to work on the returning series, as evident by the Twitpic the late night host sent out yesterday to followers. "Here's the 1st official photo from the new Arrested Development on @Netflix. Spoiler alert: I'm an amazing actor," O'Brien tweeted with the photo of his time on the set with Richter and Arrested star Jason Bateman. Take a look at the three funny men, looking surprisingly serious here, on the set. (Hey, great comedy is serious business.)
While it's a safe assumption that Richter will be reprising his role(s) as himself and the rest of the quints, O'Brien has stayed tight-lipped on what his part will be. Maybe he's playing the part of grown-up Steve Holt? Steve Holt! [Photo credit: Twitter] More: Arrested Development Season 4 Casts Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter (and His Quints)Steve Holt!: A New Movement To Bring Back The Beloved Arrested Development CharacterNetflix to Air All-New Episodes of Arrested Development

David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas consists of six stories set in various periods between 1850 and a time far into Earth's post-apocalyptic future. Each segment lives on its own the previous first person account picked up and read by a character in its successor creating connective tissue between each moment in time. The various stories remain intact for Tom Tykwer's (Run Lola Run) Lana Wachowski's and Andy Wachowski's (The Matrix) film adaptation which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The massive change comes from the interweaving of the book's parts into one three-hour saga — a move that elevates the material and transforms Cloud Atlas in to a work of epic proportions.
Don't be turned off by the runtime — Cloud Atlas moves at lightning pace as it cuts back and forth between its various threads: an American notary sailing the Pacific; a budding musician tasked with transcribing the hummings of an accomplished 1930's composer; a '70s-era investigatory journalist who uncovers a nefarious plot tied to the local nuclear power plant; a book publisher in 2012 who goes on the run from gangsters only to be incarcerated in a nursing home; Sonmi~451 a clone in Neo Seoul who takes on the oppressive government that enslaves her; and a primitive human from the future who teams with one of the few remaining technologically-advanced Earthlings in order to survive. Dense but so was the unfamiliar world of The Matrix. Cloud Atlas has more moving parts than the Wachowskis' seminal sci-fi flick but with additional ambition to boot. Every second is a sight to behold.
The members of the directing trio are known for their visual prowess but Cloud Atlas is a movie about juxtaposition. The art of editing is normally a seamless one — unless someone is really into the craft the cutting of a film is rarely a post-viewing talking point — but Cloud Atlas turns the editor into one of the cast members an obvious player who ties the film together with brilliant cross-cutting and overlapping dialogue. Timothy Cavendish the elderly publisher could be musing on his need to escape and the film will wander to the events of Sonmi~451 or the tortured music apprentice Robert Frobisher also feeling the impulse to run. The details of each world seep into one another but the real joy comes from watching each carefully selected scene fall into place. You never feel lost in Cloud Atlas even when Tykwer and the Wachowskis have infused three action sequences — a gritty car chase in the '70s a kinetic chase through Neo Seoul and a foot race through the forests of future millennia — into one extended set piece. This is a unified film with distinct parts echoing the themes of human interconnectivity.
The biggest treat is watching Cloud Atlas' ensemble tackle the diverse array of characters sprinkled into the stories. No film in recent memory has afforded a cast this type of opportunity yet another form of juxtaposition that wows. Within a few seconds Tom Hanks will go from near-neanderthal to British gangster to wily 19th century doctor. Halle Berry Hugh Grant Jim Sturgess Jim Broadbent Ben Whishaw Hugo Weaving and Susan Sarandon play the same game taking on roles of different sexes races and the like. (Weaving as an evil nurse returning to his Priscilla Queen of the Desert cross-dressing roots is mind-blowing.) The cast's dedication to inhabiting their roles on every level helps us quickly understand the worlds. We know it's Halle Berry behind the fair skinned wife of the lunatic composer but she's never playing Halle Berry. Even when the actors are playing variations on themselves they're glowing with the film's overall epic feel. Jim Broadbent's wickedly funny modern segment a Tykwer creation that packs a particularly German sense of humor is on a smaller scale than the rest of the film but the actor never dials it down. Every story character and scene in Cloud Atlas commits to a style. That diversity keeps the swirling maelstrom of a movie in check.
Cloud Atlas poses big questions without losing track of its human element the characters at the heart of each story. A slower moment or two may have helped the Wachowskis' and Tykwer's film to hit a powerful emotional chord but the finished product still proves mainstream movies can ask questions while laying over explosive action scenes. This year there won't be a bigger movie in terms of scope in terms of ideas and in terms of heart than Cloud Atlas.
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Synopsis

Scheduled to run throughout the NFL football season, this comedy series follows the fortunes of a disorganized football team and its new owner, Diane Barrow, a socialite who inherits the team as part of a divorce settlement. In the premiere, Diane takes a chance on an aging quarterback, and halts a ticket-scalping scheme. Twelve episodes are slotted to run every other week through the Super Bowl.